THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGE?
People often ask which language is the most difficult to learn, and it is not easy
to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration.
A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to
learn than a native speaker of Chinese because Portuguese is very similar to
Spanish, while Chinese is very different. The greater the differences between the
second language and our first one, the harder it will be for most people to learn.
Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn possibly
influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system. The
pronunciation of Chinese appears to be very difficult for many foreign learners,
too. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their
own language, learning this language will be less difficult than for speakers of
languages using the Roman alphabet.
Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult.
Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an
important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn
a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster
than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life.
British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest
language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many. But the
language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which
has 35 grammatical cases.
Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different
languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is
not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the
grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find
it easier.
2. The author explains why people find Chinese a very difficult language to learn.
Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What factors play an important role in learning a language?
4. Why do British diplomats find it difficult to learn Hungarian?
№57
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
WALL STREET
Wall Street is a place where the sun never shines. This doesn't mean it has
a different climate from the rest of New York City. It simply means that the
buildings here in New York's financial centre are so high that the street is always
in the shade.
The people who work in the Wall Street area are too busy to worry about the
weather. They are employed by great banking houses or giant financial com-
panies. They handle big sums of money every day.
Twenty years ago, life was a lot quieter on Wall Street. Many of the companies
were old family firms. They had always been successful and did not see the need
to work very hard for their money. Sons entering their fathers' businesses could
come to work late, leave early and be certain that no one would notice.
Those days are gone forever. Wall Street's big bosses still have beautifully
furnished offices on the top floor, with wonderful views over New York. But
downstairs in the trading rooms, clever young people work at their computers
sending money around the world.
Americans have never quite got used to trusting their banks. They remember
too well the great Wall Street 'crash' of 1929, when many banks closed and
thousands of people lost their money. In order to keep the dangers small,
American law prevents banks from becoming too big. No bank can have offices in
more than one state. Perhaps this is why there are so many banks in America —
nearly 15,000 of them.
The advantage of having so many small banks is that each one can get to know
its customers, and can offer a personal service. The problem is that a traveller
who has his or her money in a bank in Denver, cannot easily get any money out
from a bank in Washington. But even this is changing now. Computers can send
money so fast that the old system of American banks is breaking down.
Many Americans are not so happy about leaving their money in the bank. They
want to see it grow, fast. That's one reason why many people spend as much
money as they can on buying and improving houses. They know real estate
prices often rise faster than anything else.
2. The author mentions some pluses and minuses of having many small banks.
Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why don't Americans trust their banks?
4. What makes Americans spend money on real estate?
№58
1. Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
YOUNG BUSINESSMAN
Martin Halstead is a normal English teenager who lives in Oxford with his Mum
and Dad. There is only one unusual thing about Martin — at the age of 18 he
set up his own airline!
Martin got his passion for flying when he boarded a plane for the first time at
the age of six. Ever since Martin has wanted to be a pilot.
Only a year ago Martin was just a student at an Oxford college and was preparing
for his final exams in Business, History and English. However, his desire to
become a pilot was so strong that he sent an application to Oxford Air Training
School before taking his college exams. Martin wasn't very confident that he
would get a place but much to his own surprise he was successful. Martin says:
"To my surprise, I was given a chance to start at Oxford Air Training School
almost immediately. Both my parents and the head of the college could see how
much I wanted to become a pilot, so they supported my decision to leave college
without taking my final exams."
Martin started his flying course last January. He says: "Last summer I was
chatting to my friend and said, as a joke, that my only chance to get a job in
that field was to have my own airline."
And that was how it all began. Martin's original plan was to fly between Oxford
and Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are the two most famous and important
university cities in the UK. Although the two cities are not too far from each
other, they are not well connected by road or train. However, Martin has now
changed his mind. His airline, Alpha One Airways, now plans to fly between
Southampton and the Isle of Man.
Where did Martin get money to start his business? Well, he got some money
from his Grandmother and also had some savings from doing part-time jobs.
Although Martin refuses to say exactly how much money he needed to start the
business, he says it wasn't very much.
So, what is next? Martin says: "I hope that this is just the beginning and in the
future I will be able to fly to other places." Good luck, Martin!
2. The author mentions Martin's plan of starting the airline. Find this extract and
read it aloud.
3. What made Martin leave college and start studying to become a pilot?
4. How did Martin manage to find money for starting his business?
№59
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
A craze
идея фикс, пунктик
MOBILE PHONES
From children to senior citizens, mobile phones have become a craze* as a way
of staying ahead with the technology. With our fast lifestyles, we have no time
to meet our relatives or friends and are left with the only option of talking
over the phone. Here comes the need of mobile phones, which allow us to stay
connected wherever we are and whenever we need to.
Everybody today owns at least a basic mobile phone. What makes it easy to
use is its user-friendly nature, small size and its numerous attractive features.
However, people are always eager to replace their mobile phones with the latest
models having more advanced features.
As the technology is scaling new heights, mobile phones are becoming cheaper
and cheaper and the customer is getting more for less. A great way of amusing
yourself is by playing games on your mobile phone. If you want to store your
precious moments, you can use its video recording feature. Mobile phones can
become expressions of who we are by getting mobile ringtones, wallpapers,
which turn your phone into a unique device.
Whatever may be said against mobile phones their advantages have always
scored over their disadvantages. They have proved useful for every purpose.
Nothing is as comfortable as a mobile phone for communicating over a distance.
You cannot be present at the same time at more than one place, but if required
you can just make use of your mobile phone and get your work done.
Mobile phones have definitely become the most vital part of our lives. It is hard
to imagine life without mobiles. Indeed, mobile phones keep you connected
round the clock. They are now inexpensive, easy to use, comfortable and
equipped with almost every latest feature you desire. Today, a technologically
advanced mobile phone can perform as many tasks as well as that of a personal
computer. Even remote countries have started having mobile phone services.
2. The author explains why people need mobile phones nowadays. Find this
extract and read it aloud.
3. What features can be found in modern mobile phones?
4. Why are mobile phones a vital part of our life?
№60
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
READY-MADE MEALS
It started with shepherd's pie 30 years ago and now ready-made meals have
transformed the nation's eating habits.
Britons spent £1.9 billion on ready-made meals last year, twice as much as the
French and Germans, four times as much as the Italians and six times as much
as the Spanish. Nearly one in three British adults eats a ready-made meal more
than once a week. Some claim that the reason for it is an excuse "Can't cook,
won't cook". However, others consider it to be a case of culture.
The ready-made meal boom also reflects changing social trends in Britain. More
people live alone and so are less likely to cook. And with families eating apart
more often, ready-meals allow people to eat what they want when they want.
But ready meals also reflect changing tastes in food. Britain's multi- culturalism
has brought a wider range of restaurants than other European countries, and
ethnic cuisines, which people are often scared of cooking, are far more popular.
One quarter of chilled meals are Indian, and nearly one in five is Chinese.
Traditional British food accounts for only 18 per cent of sales.
The quality of ready-made meals has become better since the 1970s. However.
Dr Jebb says: "Ready-made meals tend to be higher in fat, sugar and salt than
the meals we would cook ourselves at home. Fat is cheap and it adds flavour.
Most of the salt we eat is added by manufacturers — people like it." But it is not
necessarily bad. People can choose healthy options, or have ready-made salads.
There is a whole generation that has been brought up with ready meals. They
haven't grown up with cooking, they have neither the ability nor the desire to
cook.
If we cook, we are interested in life. For many of us, cooking is a way of keeping
some control over our own health and happiness. There is no way to guarantee
a long and healthy life, but there are three ways to make it possible. The first
is to drink a lot of water, the second is to walk a lot and the third is to cook.
2. The author tells us about the fact that people eat more ready-made meals in
Britain than in any other country. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What does Dr Jebb think about ready-made meals?
4. Why do people need to cook?
№61
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
Gratitude
благодарность, признательность
HOW TO BECOME RICH
I believe that even people who are deeply in debt can become wealthy in ten
years or less.
The first step is taking control of spending. So, start living on less than you
make. Track your spending for a month. Then review your notes to see where you
can make cuts. The next step is looking towards tomorrow. Even people happy
in their jobs today understand that things are changing in every profession and
that they might not be secure tomorrow.
Lastly, these people are saving like crazy ones. Now is not the time to buy that
42-inch flat-screen TV if you can't afford it.
A poor person should really learn to be as optimistic as a millionaire. Try this
simple exercise. For the next three days, notice and write down five good things
happening in your world. After three days, you'll see that good things are part
of a pattern in your life. This will make you more optimistic, and optimism is
a wealth magnet. Study after study shows that people with faith in themselves
and in the future get more jobs and keep more jobs. They save for tomorrow
rather than spend for today because they're convinced there will be a tomorrow.
Eve designed a set of special exercises to help people overcome financial
difficulties. The exercises are valuable because they help make changes real and
they give you a goal and focus. Most involve keeping a journal or asking yourself
challenging questions. One that's really valuable is writing about yourself in
the third person. New research shows that when you write about yourself as
'he' or 'she,' it takes away some of the self-consciousness. You can see if you're
emphasizing positive or negative attributes and understand how others see you.
From there, you can start to make changes.
The research being done by psychologist Bob Emmons on gratitude* made
a difference. His idea is that grateful individuals lead happier, more successful
lives. Bob got me to appreciate the everyday — to stop comparing, to do things
for others, to use visual aids to stimulate me, like the sign I put up in my house
that says 'Breathe.' In this economy, it's something everyone needs to remember.
2. The author gives advice on how to become wealthy. Find this extract and read it
aloud.
3. What exercises should a person do to overcome financial difficulties?
4. Why is it important for people to feel optimistic if they want to get rich?
№62
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
A backup
подпевка
An audition
npo6a, прослушивание
HOW I GOT TO THE TOP
I was either ten or eleven when I wrote my first song. I don't remember. My
mum was struggling financially and emotionally, so I didn't talk a lot. Finally,
she told me if I couldn't talk about what was bothering me, I should write about
it. So she gave me a notebook, and my poems turned into lyrics.
I grew up in a very hardworking family. But we didn't have lots of money. I was
the kid whom friends' parents bought Christmas presents for. One year, though,
when I was in the sixth grade, my mom got a bonus at work, and instead of
paying off bills, she bought me a CD player and four CDs.
I eventually got several college music scholarships but passed on them to move
to Los Angeles in 2001. Everyone thought I was crazy to do it, but I moved
to California anyway and got work singing backup*. A friend and I lived in a
house with some other people, and we finally saved enough money to get our
own place. The day we moved into our apartment, the building burned down.
I stayed in my car for a few days so I could get enough money to drive back to
Texas. When I got home, a friend told me about the American Idol audition*
in Dallas.
Looking back on the show, I find it strange going back and performing on Idol
last spring. Everyone was always supportive and nice. But I think they were so
nice because no one thought I was going to win. Members of the crew came up
to me after the finale and told me they didn't think I could have won.
I recently gave a self-esteem workshop for Girl Scouts in Nashville, and I told
the girls that I wasn't a role model for my weight. Sometimes I'm thicker when
I'm around my family and I'm eating more. Sometimes I'm thinner because I'm
on the road and that takes a lot out of me. But I do feel it's important to talk to
girls about weight. They see these images, and there's no way they'll ever live
up to them.
Everyone says I'm down-to-earth. It would be very hard for me to keep up
any sort of celebrity persona. It's just not me. I'm comfortable in my skin. I'm
outspoken. I don't know any other way to be.
2. The author explains what made her write songs. Find this extract and read it
aloud.
3. Why were all the people nice to her during the show?
4. What did she talk to Girl Scouts in Nashville about?
№63
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
